Law-enforcement officials, health organizations talk about dangers of meth and heroinRepresentatives from the Kodiak Police Department and local health organizations told a crowd about identifying drug paraphernalia and signs of drug use. A local detective with the Kodiak Police Department, who requested anonymity, said meth and heroin are, by far, the two most common drugs in Kodiak. He also said Kodiak has become a hub for drug distribution in the area. It’s not as easy to identify users as some...

Wrapping our hearts around wreathsAt the Kodiak Garden Club’s annual wreath-making workshop on Saturday, about 50 people gathered at St. Mary’s Marian Center around tables covered with branches, spools of wire, pliers and Christmas decorations. The air was scented with cedar and pine and charged with high expectations to come away from the two-hour workshop with a showpiece worthy of the holidays. Club member Kate Loewen put everyone at ease with ...

Banner year for salmon catch expected in 2015Alaska is poised for some big fish stories next year based on predictions trickling in from state and federal managers. For the state’s (and nation’s) largest fishery, Alaska pollock, the Eastern Bering Sea stock has more than doubled its 10-year average to top 9 million tons, or 20 billion pounds. And the stock is healthy and growing, according to annual surveys. “It is one of the most stunning fisheries manageme...

Where's the snow?While snow has pelted much of the rest of the United States, Kodiak and the rest of Alaska has seen warmer temperatures and little snow. Alaska’s relatively warm temperatures compared to other areas cold and snow is pretty normal, according to Craig Eckert, the local National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration station manager. It’s a weather pattern that comes with a warm high-pressure ridge that’s currently a...

Teeing Off: This news week is for the dogsWhat a zany news week in Kodiak. In my eight years here, I don’t recall a week quite like this. A stabbing a block away from the Daily Mirror office, a captain drunk at the wheel of a boat that was grounded not just once, but twice, and a person in Chiniak who mistook oil fuel for water and blew up a banya. The topper of the week goes to the unveiling of Kodiak’s underwear bandit. All the ladies in Kodiak can brea...

Affidavit: Stabbing suspect said he ‘could kill’ victimBefore a fatal stabbing Sunday, a Kodiak man charged with manslaughter said he “could kill” the victim, according to a police affidavit. Teila Tofelogo, 44, faces manslaughter and assault charges in the case that left Dennis Fathke, 59, dead. The affidavit by Sgt. Tim Putney of the Kodiak Police Department states Tofelogo said he and Fathke joked about Tofelogo’s “ninja moves” with a 12-inch curved knife. “The def...

Jonathan HammonOur loving son, brother, and friend, Jonathan Reuben Hammon, passed away Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. He was born Aug. 30, 1970 in Hildale, Utah, to Lloyd Hunter Hammon and Charlotte Ann Thornton Hammon. He is survived by many brothers and sisters. He is preceded in death by his father Lloyd and brother, Nathan. Funeral services will be Monday, Nov. 24 at 11 a.m. in the Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 S. Bluff St., St. George...

ESS volleyball team enjoys success in third seasonAs Karluk’s one-man volleyball team, David Reft spends a lot of time in front of a wall. He bounces a ball off a wall. He sets a ball off a wall. He bumps a ball off a wall. It is easy to understand his excitement when he leaves Karluk — a town of about 37 residents, 88 miles southwest of Kodiak city — to join the rest of his teammates on Kodiak’s Emerging Small Schools mix-6 volleyball team. His teammates also co...

Comedy this weekendIt will be “a good night for laughs” in Kodiak on Saturday. That’s how Mike Amberg is advertising his comedy show this weekend. Mike Amberg told the Mirror he moved to Kodiak last year, and this will be his first show in Kodiak, but if all goes well, he’ll hopefully do more. He’s worked as a clown at children’s hospitals, and he worked in a circus as a clown for two seasons. Amber describes the show as “an evening...